While vehicle airbags have greatly increased driver safety, particularly for higher speed collisions, some vehicle passengers are injured more by the airbag deployment itself than they are by the actual collision. This can be based on the passengers leaning forward in their seats, having their fingers wrapped around the steering wheel, being too young (e.g., children), etc. For example, if a driver's fingers are wrapped around the steering wheel, there's the risk of the airbag pinning the driver's thumbs to the steering wheel as it pushes the arms away.
This concern has been recognized and certain solutions proposed for handling potentially dangerous situations. For example, an airbag may be manually de-activated.